Assessment weight:
20% idea,
20% strategy,
30% implementation,
30% results.
Evaluation criteria:
Uniqueness and creativity of the activation concept,
Creation of a unique consumer experience;
Alignment of strategy with campaign objectives and selection of target audience;
Logical and thoughtful strategy for interacting with the audience;
Achieved performance indicators (KPI): sales growth, increase in market share, ROI, etc;
Impact of the campaign on the brand: recognition, loyalty, change in perception;
Relevance of insight to the campaign objectives;
Quality of activation execution: design, content, technical implementation, etc;
Integration of different channels and their synergy.
Includes the activities involving communication with the customer: samplings, contests, coupons, discounts, gifts, giveaway, etc.
Campaigns that create consumer experiences for the target audience through activations are evaluated, including static events, exhibitions, pop-up stores, activities in shopping malls, brand activations using guerrilla marketing, spectacular advertising stunts, and more. The jury will also consider campaigns in which sponsorship is used as the primary platform.
Entries in these category must focus on brand experience and activations that took place within a retail environment, and that generate sales in any industry sector
Campaigns are evaluated that include at least three types of marketing activities to engage with consumers and effectively support the launch or promotion of a product or service in the market.
Direct marketing operations aimed primarily at the general public (including CRM) to build a personalized contact or increase loyalty
Campaigns that are most effective in building brand loyalty. If the campaign is long-term, it is necessary to present results for the current calendar year
Advertising campaigns with social purpose at the heart. Entrants should be a charity, non-profit organisation or government body. Brands may also enter, if they can demonstrate how they worked in partnership with a charity or non-profit cause or organisation
The strategy in the implementation of the marketing campaign is evaluated.
Projects using artificial intelligence for personalization, chatbots, voice assistants, and predictive consumer analysis are being evaluated.
Campaigns are evaluated in which an influencer acts as a sales channel, creating an engaging experience that directly influences consumer purchasing behavior and drives conversion to purchase.
Projects that use new or unique technological solutions and unconventional digital tools to achieve marketing objectives and engage with audiences are evaluated. The jury assesses the originality of the approach, the complexity of execution, and the impact on user engagement.
Applications implemented by the agency and/or advertisers (brand) in the period from January 1, 2026 to September 1, 2026, but not previously participating in Red Apple, are accepted for participation in the competition.
Deadline for submission of applications - August 31, 2026
Mandatory requirement - all submissions must be in English.
Application upload format:
1. Application in English (required):
- all fields of the application are required;
2. Video Case (required):
- in English or with English subtitles.
- provide a link to your video hosted on Vimeo, a resolution of at least 720p (preferably 1080p);
- maximum video duration: 3 minutes.
Additional files:
In support of the results, it is necessary to provide files in the format of graphs, diagrams, tables, presentations, studies in the field “additional files”. The data on the results can be presented both by the agency and by the client.
3. PDF Presentation (Recommended):
- no more than 15 slides
- aspect ratio 16: 9
- the presentation must include the following points:
1. Description of the product/service (company architecture)
2. Goals and objectives of the advertising campaign
3. Performance indicators of the advertising campaign (business, marketing, technical and media KPIs)
4. Presentation board (required):
- an image with key visual elements of the project and its description, .jpg, .png file (graphs, diagrams, tables, research) (with a width of at least 1772 pixels, a resolution of at least 150 DPI)
- file size no more than 75 MB
It is forbidden to place the logo or the name of the agency in the work, including in the link, the name of the channel on the video hosting or in the name of the file. Jobs violating this rule will be disqualified.
Access to the material uploaded by the participants has: the organizing committee and members of the Jury.
A fragment of the video case can be used (can be displayed on the screen) during the award ceremony.